#MyUrbanIsland: Liza Skripka

Meet Liza Skripka, digital marketing manager and 1/2 of the team behind Tripsget, a travel website and soon-to-be app that she runs with her boyfriend, Pepe. While it seems like everyone has a travel blog these days, Liza’s goal is different. For starters, both she and Pepe know the importance of a balanced lifestyle – they both work full-time jobs that they love and have no plans on quitting them anytime soon for their travel lives. Instead, they want to share their travel stories and provide life hacks based on their own experiences. They also plan to publish Spanish and Russian versions of their site as well. We chatted with Liza who shared with us her travel essentials, what travel trends are the most overrated, and what her urban island is (out of all of the places she’s been to).

What is your “urban island,” that oasis in the big city that helps your find balance?

My urban island is the airport. If I am feeling down, I always count the days before my next trip. I usually travel once a month – perks of being in a long-distance relationship. But it’s not only about traveling and leaving the airport: I genuinely like staying there: it has a special atmosphere: all the people walking in and out, couples reuniting, families excited about their long-awaited vacations.

What is your favorite adventure?

I like unexpected adventures – they are the best. When something doesn’t go as planned. In the end, the craziest adventures are the ones you remember. For example, recently I’ve been on a weekend corporate trip to the North of Russia. We were walking around the island following a route from a map, but someone decided to take a shortcut through the forest. I joined them and damn, we got lost, had to wade through the fallen trees, call to get our ferry delayed (so it doesn’t leave without us) and run for 30 minutes. It was tough, but we all made it and it was the best and most remarkable experience of this trip.

If you were an island, which one would you be?

I would be Crete, the biggest island in Greece. It is simply stunning. If there were jobs, I would move there.

If you were a city, which one would you be?

The first city that comes to my mind is Edinburgh, but nope, I wouldn’t provide my inhabitants with such terrible cold summers (nobody deserves that). So I would go for London: it’s beautiful, conservative and at the same time very modern and technological. And most importantly, it has 5 airports and has connections to nearly all countries in the world.

What are your five island essentials?

My iPhone because I’m addicted to social media (I also work as a social media manager), my camera, Nikes, a make-up palette, and a bottle of water.

What travel trend do you think is the most underrated?

I think eco- and nature tourism is really underrated. Everybody wants to go to the famous cities like Rome, Paris or Barcelona, not even considering the option of staying in smaller towns closer to nature. I am in love with the mountains and the German Alps are my favorite.

What travel trend do you think is the most overrated?

As I already mentioned before, everybody wants to travel to the trendy and popular cities, not even thinking of hidden gems, like Segovia, for example. Have you ever heard of it? Through my travel blog, I am trying to make people aware of some fabulous places totally worth visiting.

What was the best piece of advice you’ve every received?

“You’re so young, you’re in your best years; you can achieve everything and the world is open. Take your chance!”

What was the best piece of advice you’ve ever given?

I’m always advising people to express themselves in any way they want. Some friends got inspired by my blog, so I suggested them to start their own one. Because why not? You lose nothing. The worst thing that could happen is that you’ll understand that it’s not your thing. However, if you don’t try, you’ll regret it so much.

We believe all jewelry tells a story. What is the story of your favorite piece of jewelry?

I have quite a romantic story about my favorite piece of jewelry, the red heart-shaped pendant. Long before we met, my boyfriend had traveled around Europe with his family and he got it from a shop assistant, who told him to give this pendant to his “other half.” At that time, he was single, so he brought it back home to Mexico and left it there. We met and started dating in Scotland, but when I went to Mexico with him, he gave the pendant to me and said that he found his “other half.” It was an unforgettable moment.

Kalaki Riot is a lifestyle brand that is committed to finding balance in the things people own and in their lives. Read our lifestyle tips to a more balanced you on the KR Edit, shop kalakiriot.com, or follow @kalakiriot on Instagram.